Zappa and Beranak on Disney's Kingdom Comics

According to Ahmet Zappa, son of the legendary Frank Zappa and super-powered psychic witch businesswoman Gail, magic is real.

Together with former president and CEO of Fox Inc.’s Twentieth
Television Harris Katleman and Silent Devil Productions co-founder and
professional writer/producer/musician/actor Christian Beranek, they
have been given the keys to the magical world of Disney with today’s
announcement of a multi-year deal with The Walt Disney Studios to
oversee the newly christened Kingdom Comics , an innovative new venture
of developing graphic novels to create new film projects for the Studio
as well as re-imagining and rejuvenating motion pictures from the
Disney live-action vault.

Disney Publishing Worldwide, the largest distributor of comic books in
the world, will have the first opportunity to distribute publications
created by Kingdom Comics. President of Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Production Oren Aviv said, “We're very excited to be working
with Harris, Ahmet and Christian in developing this new business
devoted to creating stories and properties for the graphic novel
audience, as well as for moviegoers. They are three of the top talents
in their respective fields and together they have the knowledge,
expertise and instincts to create great publications and film
properties. Some of these exciting publications will be inspired by
films and characters in the vast and storied Disney library, while
other original graphic novels are sure to spark great ideas for future
Disney classics. Our vision for Kingdom Comics is to bring a fresh,
contemporary approach to Disney properties that already have a strong
connection with moviegoers and readers all over the world, and to add
to that storytelling legacy."

Katleman added, "I have been involved with my share of exciting
projects and worked with lots of great talent over the years. Working
with Ahmet and Christian in creating Kingdom Comics for Disney is as
exciting as anything I've ever done. We're all looking forward to
working with Oren and his team in developing some fantastic new
projects for the printed page and the silver screen."

Zappa said, "The ability to create new publications based on properties
from the Disney vaults, and to develop original ideas for graphic
novels and possibly future Disney films is a dream job filled with
enormous fun and potential. Being a storyteller myself, I can't wait to
work with some of the today's top writers and artists in bringing a
fresh approach to graphic novels and the movies. We're also excited to
discover and develop promising new talents in this field."

Beranek added, "Graphic novels continue to have an enormous following
all over the world and we're hoping to bring something new and
different to those devoted fans. There are a lot of great stories
waiting to be told, including some familiar properties residing in the
Disney vaults. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and we can't wait
to get started."

Newsarama.com sat down with both Ahmet Zappa and Christain Beranek to discuss further about the whole Kingdom Comics deal.

Ahmet Zappa: It came about because of conversations Harris
Katleman and myself had with Jason Reed and [President and Chief
Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company] Bob Iger. We all saw the
potential for a graphic novel division at Disney. CB -- and I call him
that because he's like a futuristic truck driver using an
inter-dimensional ham radio to tap into the hearts and minds of comic
book readers across the globe -- and I were friends and I couldn't
think of anyone better to partner up with on this.

NRAMA: Christian, you ran Silent Devil for years. What's SD's role in the big picture?

Christian Beranek: Silent Devil still exists, but I'm now
exclusive to Disney in terms of graphic novels. But I will always
support SD's efforts -- I don't think you've heard the last from them
yet. Astronaut Dad and Division 18 will continue, and as
for future projects -- time will tell. Silent Devil was always a nice
home base to have and I will look fondly on those years piloting its
course. Maybe one day I'll go all Willy Wonka and hand the keys over to
some bright eyed phenom. "Here you go, kid, here's a comic company:
Make dreams happen."

As for my other projects, Unhappy White Girls will come out from AAM/Markosia in 2009 and Willow Creek
will re-launch as soon as Josh Medors recovers from his battle with
cancer. As for Little Foot, my small press all-ages company, the
current crop of titles is safe and well. More news on that soon!

NRAMA: From the press release, it looks like Kingdom Comics
serves as an R&D arm for Disney in terms of "developing graphic
novels to create new film projects for the [Walt Disney Studios] as
well as re-imagining and rejuvenating motion pictures from the Disney
live-action vault." Let's start with the first part. Basically, Disney
gets the first look deal whereby the Studio has the right of first
refusal, correct?

CB: All books through Kingdom Comics will be Disney owned
properties, so it won't be a first look. We're a division of the Studio
itself and they are totally behind us. We owe it to them to produce the
best material possible.

NRAMA: What kind of stories can we look forward to?

AZ: Action and adventure. Think National Treasure and Pirates of the Caribbean in terms of tone and spirit. Something the entire family can enjoy.

NRAMA: So, these would be new creations and properties that we're looking at, unlike the SLG-Disney deal, right?

CB: That is correct. We totally dig what other companies are
doing with Disney licenses, but that's not our focus. We're here to
create new Disney franchises.

NRAMA: Can you reveal more about some of the "top graphic
novelists and artists" involved? Or at the very least, are they
established names and professionals in the comic book industry or are
they from outside the industry or both? I mean, with Ahmet's
connections in the music industry, shouldn't there be some surprises
coming our way from that side of the entertainment spectrum?

AZ: We want to feature the best talent from inside the comics
industry. This is a great opportunity for them to shine at Disney. We
will also be looking to some of our screenwriter and director friends.
And you never know where the coolest stories may come from. Some people
don't realize that there is a graphic novelist inside them. Here at the
Kingdom Comics Special Ops division their job is to unlock that
potential.

CB: We're actively looking right now. We're hitting the
convention circuit and will be at Wizard World Philadelphia this
weekend. Ahmet and I will be hosting the "Hollywood and the Graphic
Novel" panel on Saturday.

Expect official announcements as creative teams get locked down. I can
say production guru Thomas Mauer will be handling our lettering and
design. He rocks.

NRAMA: Are there plans for these new titles/properties to hit the direct market in the form of comics too?

AZ: At the moment we're strictly doing 112+ page original graphic novels. We're going to do about 6-10 a year.

CB: It's quality vs. quantity, you can say. Very much focused on creating the best books possible.

NRAMA: Moving on to the second part, does it mean that Kingdom Comics has access to the whole Disney library with properties such as Mary Poppins, George of the Jungle, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, The Parent Trap, The Princess Diaries, The Santa Clause, Pirates of the Caribbean, Enchanted and lots more? Will you be working on upcoming properties such as Prince of Persia?

CB: We won't be working on any properties that are currently out
there or in development. We'll be mining the back catalogue and
bringing to life older Disney classics and giving them a fresh take.

NRAMA: Are you guys looking at a totally new interpretation of
the works ala Marvel's Ultimate imprint and DC's All-Star line? A back
to basics approach but with a modern touch?

AZ: Yes, very much in that vein. What makes us different, however, is we'll be launching new ideas alongside old favorites.

NRAMA: Ahmet, as I understand it, you had in 2006 sold the rights of your first novel, The Monstrous Memoir of a Mighty McFearless
to Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Are there plans to create comics
and graphic novels based on this creation of yours under the Kingdom
Comics banner?

AZ: It's a possibility. Right now I'm working on the next two
novels in the series, so that's been keeping me busy. I wouldn't see
why not, however.

NRAMA: Also, Ahmet, what about Fraggle Rock? You are an executive producer on the film. What can we expect from the movie?

AZ: Fans of the original series I think will be thrilled with
what we're doing and people not familiar with the Fraggles will fall in
love. It's been a pleasure working with The Jim Henson Company on this
project. The Fraggles will take over the world. They're like the Borg:
Resistance is Fraggle.

NRAMA: What's on your playlist?

AZ: Candle on the Water from the Pete's Dragon soundtrack. That, and Feist.